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NewsDay

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MDC Alliance, Zanu PF urged to unite

Politics
OUTSPOKEN Mutare-based war veteran Ivan Mbengo has started lobbying for the setting up of a government of national unity to address the deepening political impasse between the country’s two major political parties, Zanu PF and MDC Alliance.

OUTSPOKEN Mutare-based war veteran Ivan Mbengo has started lobbying for the setting up of a government of national unity to address the deepening political impasse between the country’s two major political parties, Zanu PF and MDC Alliance.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

This came as the MDC Alliance accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of rigging the just-ended elections in favour of Zanu PF and is set to challenge the poll result in court.

Mbengo told NewsDay yesterday that Zimbabweans needed to live in harmony and rebuild the country’s troubled economy.

“As war veterans of this county, we want to leave a legacy of a united party, united country, peaceful, prosperous well-governed country, governance begins with elections,” he said.

“So, as such, when we have irregularities and anomalies, let’s come together as people and reconcile those petty differences, forge unity of purpose, pursue justice and, in this case, rule of law must prevail. We should leave peacefully and harmoniously among ourselves,” he said.

“In a nutshell, the current situation we are in, there are no two ways about it. As Zimbabweans, we must join our hands together and form a national team that can move our government forward, today and tomorrow,” he said.

“I am one of the authors of the previous Government of National Unity (GNU) and I am thinking this should happen again so that we can move as a country economically,” he said.

Former President Robert Mugabe and the now late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2009 formed a GNU after the contested 2008 elections.

This came after the economy took a nosedive, with inflation reaching unprecedented levels in 2008, forcing Mugabe to join hands with Tsvangirai, who was then appointed Prime Minister.

Tsvangirai, who commanded respect from Western countries, helped the country to adopt a multi-currency system rejuvenating the economy.

Mbengo also slammed the shooting of innocent civilians by soldiers during opposition protests in Harare.

“The shooting of six people last week is very unfortunate and very regrettable. If you see a war veteran like me carrying a big gun and shooting my people, it means that there is something wrong with me,’’ he said

Mbengo is Manicaland former provincial war veterans’ political commissar.